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Herring with Potatoes and Onions
Instructions
Gather the necessary products on a clean work surface for making the herring snack with potatoes and onions. Have everything within easy reach before starting the brief preparation work.
Peel the red onion and cut it into thin even rings. The red onion variety adds a beautifully bright purple-pink colour to the finished snack alongside its proper sharp flavour.
Use salted cucumbers for this salad, but cooks who prefer the tangier pickled variety can use small pickled cucumbers instead with broadly similar results. Cut them into rings crosswise. If the cucumbers are particularly large, cut each ring in half again for a more uniform finished size.
Cut the apple in half and then cut each half into wedges. Now carefully remove the tough seed casings along with the seeds from the wedges with the tip of a sharp knife.
Cut the apple wedges into small pieces. Mix the chopped apple together with the cucumbers and onions, and add the pickled corn. Drizzle the prepared salad ingredients with the herb vinegar for the proper traditional flavour profile.
Before preparing the herring, place the potatoes (with skins on) into a pot of cold salted water and bring up to a boil. Cook for about 25 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.
For this snack, you can take a whole fatty herring or buy ready-made fatty herring fillet pieces in a can. If using ready-made canned fillets, place the fillet pieces on a paper napkin to dry them from the brine. For whole fish, prepare it as follows: remove the head and make a longitudinal cut along the belly. Remove the entrails and clean the inside of the belly from the dark black membrane. Rinse the herring thoroughly and dry with a paper towel. Cut the herring carcass into fillets and then cut the fillets into small pieces.
Add the prepared herring fillet pieces to the other salad components in the bowl. Stir gently to combine without crushing the delicate apple pieces.
Drizzle the finished salad with a mixture of sour cream and horseradish for the proper finishing touch. The herring with potatoes and onions is now ready to serve. Bring the snack proudly to the table alongside the warm boiled potatoes for a properly satisfying complete light meal. Bon appetit!
Tips
- 1
Choose properly fresh salted herring for the best flavour, with firm shiny silvery skin and clear bright eyes if buying whole fish. The deboning step is the trickiest part of the preparation but improves with practice. Pre-filleted herring is widely available from supermarkets for cooks who prefer to skip the cleaning entirely. Always pat the prepared fillet pieces dry on paper towel before adding to the salad to remove excess brine for the cleanest finished flavour.
- 2
Boil the potatoes in their skins rather than peeled, since this preserves more of the natural potato flavour and produces a firmer drier finished texture. To pair this beautiful Slavic herring snack with another celebration appetizer for variety, try our properly elegant herring appetizer for the holiday table as a more refined canapé-style alternative for special occasions.
- 3
Make the sour cream and horseradish dressing fresh just before serving for the brightest most pungent finished flavour. Pre-made horseradish from the supermarket works perfectly, though freshly grated horseradish root produces a noticeably more pronounced result. Combine 75 grams of sour cream with 1 tablespoon of horseradish in a small bowl, stir until smooth, and adjust the proportions to personal taste preference for the perfect dressing.
- 4
Garnish the finished salad with a few sprigs of fresh dill, parsley or even green onion for an extra-festive presentation. For another beautifully traditional Slavic celebration salad to add to your appetizer menu, try our beautifully presented Mimosa salad with sardines as a more elaborate layered alternative.
FAQ
Can I use other types of fish? +
Yes, smoked salmon, smoked mackerel, salt-cured anchovies, sardines or even sprat fillets all work as substitutes for traditional salted herring in this recipe with broadly similar results. Each fish brings its own slightly different flavour profile to the finished snack. Smoked salmon produces a more elegant refined version that suits sophisticated celebrations, while sprats give a more rustic country-style presentation. Adjust the dressing slightly to balance the varying saltiness of different fish varieties.
What can I substitute for herb vinegar? +
Plain white wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or even rice vinegar all work as substitutes for herb vinegar in this recipe. Each vinegar brings its own slightly different acidic profile to the finished salad. To approximate herb vinegar at home, simply infuse plain white wine vinegar with fresh herbs (such as tarragon, dill, basil or thyme) for at least a week in a sealed jar. The homemade infusion produces beautifully aromatic vinegar that pairs wonderfully with this traditional fish snack.
How long does this snack keep? +
Store the assembled snack covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for best results. The flavours actually improve slightly during the first few hours as the various components merge into a harmonious whole. After a day, the texture begins to soften noticeably as the apple and cucumber release moisture into the surrounding ingredients. Plan to assemble the salad fresh on the day of serving for the brightest most appealing finished texture and flavour.
Can I make this snack ahead of time? +
The individual components (boiled potatoes, prepared herring, chopped vegetables, dressing) can all be prepared up to a day ahead and stored separately in the refrigerator. Assemble the salad just before serving for the brightest finished flavour and texture. The salad does not freeze well, since the herring, potato and apple all suffer significantly during defrosting. For batch preparation, double the recipe and serve the second batch within the recommended 24-hour fresh window.
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